A series of 5 minute daily podcasts for the Octave of Christmas.
Today I explain the three feast days now so closely tied to Christmas, St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents.
Fr. Troadec has a beautiful reflection on St. Stephen.
Yesterday’s podcast HERE.
This is a question which comes up each year. It came up again today.
Must we do penance on Friday within the Octave of Christmas?
The short answer is YES. This year.
According to Canon Law, Catholics are bound to do penance on Fridays of the year except when the Friday is of the liturgical rank of a “Solemnity” (a new-fangled post-Conciliar rank).
In some years, the Friday will be 1 January. That’s another matter, because 1 January is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God in the new-fangled calendar, and the Solemnity removes the obligation.
This year, however, Friday is theday after Christmas and the Feast of St. Stephen.
The Octave of Christmas does not have the same liturgical “weight” of the Octave of Easter.
It doesn’t matter how neat and crisp and even your snow is…
Easter Friday (a Solemnity) outweighs the penance thing, but Christmas Friday does not.
Note can. 1251 in the 1983 Code.
Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Remember, you can ask your parish priest to dispense you or commute acts of penance.
Can. 1245 Without prejudice to the right of diocesan bishops mentioned in can. 87, for a just cause and according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop, a pastor [parish priest] can grant in individual cases a dispensation from the obligation of observing a feast day or a day of penance or can grant a commutation of the obligation into other pious works. A superior of a religious institute or society of apostolic life, if they are clerical and of pontifical right, can also do this in regard to his own subjects and others living in the house day and night.
Members of religious communities and third orders should consult their own regulations and review to whom they turn for dispensations.
It may be that some local places have exceptions in their calendars. For example, if, this year, you are a parishioner of a parish named in honor of St. John Evangelist, or perhaps the Sts. Theophanes and Theodore, martyrs (Feast 27 Dec.), your patronal feast could be a reason not to be bound by Friday penance.
Also, you can substitute another form of penance for abstaining from meat. Make it penitential, however. Abstinence from meat has good reasoning behind it. For some, however, there abstinence from other things can be of greater spiritual effect.
Christmas begins in darkness. Holy Church gathers while the rest of the world sleeps, and in that deep quiet she announces that the eternal Light has entered time.
The First Mass of Christmas, the Missa in Nocte in the 1962 Missale Romanum, leads us directly to the mystery of the Incarnation through a harmonious sequence of texts that place before our eyes the One who is begotten before all ages and now born this night of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem.
The Introit proclaims the divine Sonship from Psalm 2: “Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui te...“The Lord said to me: You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” St. Augustine remarked, “Hodie genui te: ante omnem diem hodie est… Before every day, there is ‘today’” (en. in Ps. 2.7). The Church places the words of the Father directly upon the Child lying in a manger.
The “today” of Christmas participates in eternity.
St. Paul deepens this mystery in the Epistle to Titus, where he writes, “The grace of God our Savior has appeared to all human beings.” Grace appears as a Person. The Incarnate Word forms and educates those who behold Him through His visible presence. Paul describes the transformation that follows His coming: sobriety, justice, devotion. The Child draws us away from sin toward virtue, forming a people “pursuing good works” (v. 14). Even in the crib, Christ establishes the foundations of discipleship.
The Gospel (Luke 2:1-14) brings us into the concrete circumstances of this holy night. Luke begins with political and administrative detail: “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus” (Lk 2:1). Roman governance, taxation, census, none of these are random. Divine providence arranges that the Mother of God and Joseph (the true King of the Jews) arrives in Bethlehem at precisely the prophesied hour. The long arm of empire unwittingly serves the plan of the Almighty.
Joseph and Mary enter the city of David. There Mary gives birth (Lk 2:7). “She bore her first-born son, wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger.” The One through whom the world was made lies in the place where animals feed. The Fathers saw in this the Eucharistic mystery already foreshadowed: the Bread of Life is offered in the “House of Bread,” Bethlehem.
Then the heavens open and angels speak to shepherds keeping watch over flocks destined for sacrifice in the Temple. “There has been born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:11). Simple shepherds are the first to hear the royal announcement. The heavenly host bursts forth: Gloria in altissimis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis (Lk 2:14). This angelic exclamation becomes the Gloria of the Mass. Heaven’s worship becomes earth’s.
Within this sacred tapestry, there is also the quiet, steadfast presence of Joseph. The genealogy proclaimed in the Vigil shows that Joseph is the rightful heir of King David. Matthew records the angel addressing him directly as “Joseph, son of David” (Mt 1:20). The title of the Messiah belongs also to Joseph. In the presence of Mary he stands in awe, as David once did before the Ark. Mary is the new Ark. Joseph’s obedience safeguards the Child. His vigilance, humility, and royal dignity form a vital bridge connecting divine promise to fulfillment. Silent in Scripture, he speaks through action: he takes the Virgin into his home; he protects the newborn King from Herod’s murderous envy; he guides the Holy Family along Roman roads made safe by the Pax Augusta. Joseph’s yes allows the divine plan to unfold in safety.
The Kalendas of Christmas, often sung before the Midnight Mass, recounts the ages of the world and salvation history leading to Christ’s birth. It declares: “In the 42nd year of the reign of the Emperor Octavian Augustus… while the whole world was at peace…” Peace throughout the empire allowed the Holy Family to travel, shepherds to reach Bethlehem, Magi to cross borders, and later enabled escape into Egypt. Augustus claimed to have closed the doors of the temple of Janus, a sign that Rome was not anywhere at war, three times. His third closure coincides with the birth of Christ, the true Prince of Peace. God’s providence quietly marshals earthly instruments, emperors, soldiers, census officials, to serve His plan of salvation.
The Collect of the Mass beautifully summarizes the mystery: Deus, qui hanc sacratissimam noctem verae lucis fecisti illustratione clarescere…. The prayer asks that those who have recognized the Light’s mysteries on earth might one day enjoy the Light Himself in heaven. Christmas points forward to glory. The Child who appears tonight in weakness is the same One who reigns in majesty.
Everything about the Midnight Mass teaches that heaven and earth are closer than we think. Bethlehem is a threshold where angels sing and shepherds kneel. The manger anticipates the altar; swaddling cloths prefigure the burial shroud; the wood of the crib gestures toward the wood of the Cross. St. Leo says: “Nativitas Domini, nativitas est capitis … The Nativity of the Lord is the nativity of the Head” (s 26.1). With the Head, the Body — together Christus Totus the Church — also begins her ascent to glory.
This is why the word hodie, “today” echoes throughout the Mass and Office. Today Christ is born. Today salvation appears. Today peace is announced. Today the eternal Word speaks into time. Today, in the sacred rites, God addresses us directly: “My Son.” Midnight becomes luminous. Angels sing. Shepherds hasten. Joseph protects. Mary presents. The Eternal Word has become the Speechless Child already reigning.
Holy Church invites us into that same scene: adoring, kneeling, receiving in the darkness that has been transformed into light.
A series of 5 minute daily podcasts for Christmas and the Octave
Fr. Troadec on the “marvelous night”.
Fulton Sheen, opines.
Yesterday’s podcast HERE.
In the 2005 Roman Martyrology for Vigil of Christmas has a fascinating entry. Here is the first entry of Christmas Eve day:
1. Commemoratio omnium sanctorum avorum Iesu Christi, filii David, filii Abraham, filii Adam, patrum scilicet, qui Deo placuerunt et iusti inventi sunt et iuxta fidem defuncti, nullis acceptis promissionibus, sed longe eas aspicientes et salutantes, ex quibus natus est Christus secundum carnem, qui est super omnia Deus benedictus in saecula.
The commemoration of all the holy forefathers of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, the son of Adam, namely of the fathers, who pleased God and were both found to be righteous and also died in the faith, having received none of the promises fulfilled, but regarding them and greeting them from afar, from which the Christ was born according to the flesh, who is blessed God above all things forever.
Keep in mind that the Gospel reading for the Vigil Mass is the genealogy of the Lord from the Gospel of Matthew.
In that Gospel genealogy, Christ is shown to by the Lord of the history of our salvation.
And Matthew takes pains to teach us subtle things.
Take note of the four women he mentions. He does not mention the great women we usually think of in the Old Testament, such as Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel. Instead we get Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the woman who had been “the wife of Uriah”
So, we see pagans in the genealogy who are women of less than perfect background in the eyes of the ancient Jews.
First, women were not typically included in ancient Jewish genealogies, so their presence signals intention. These women show that the Messiah’s lineage unfolds through unexpected persons and irregular circumstances, foreshadowing Mary’s own situation and underscoring God’s gracious initiative in surprising contexts. Each woman’s story carries social stigma or moral complexity, yet they still become part of salvation history. Tamar was denied justice by Judah’s family, so she disguised herself as a prostitute to secure the promised lineage, risking shame and scandal. Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute in Jericho, Rahab sheltered Israelite spies, betraying her city. Moreover, Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth was a Moabite considered enemies of God. Her bold nighttime approach to Boaz risked misunderstanding, yet her fidelity transformed a socially suspect union into a crucial link in the messianic line. Bathsheba is overshadowed by David’s sins. All four are linked to Gentile origins, including Bathsheba to Uriah the Hittite, prefiguring Matthew’s universal vision of the Gospel extending beyond Israel to the nations.
God choses those whom it pleases Him to choose.
From The Parish™. I’m sad I’m not there as I thought I might have been. No presepio this year, however, because of the ongoing restoration work in the nave which requires enclosing the side chapels in scaffolding.
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I’m all in on this Italian Sushi! ? pic.twitter.com/IoJKGofzUu
— Grits n Football (@goodbreffis) December 23, 2025
White to move and mate in 4.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
This is a great story found at Human Events.
Members of the Ave Maria (Florida) choir were at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., after singing at the White House. Protesters approached, shouting, chanting, and directing verbal harassment with blowhorns and lights at those present. The choir responded by singing the Marian antiphon Salve Regina. The article states that, after the singing began, the protesters stopped and left.
The first recorded use of MERRY CHRISTMAS goes back to 1534 in a letter dated December 22 by imprisoned English Bishop John Fisher to lawyer and activist Thomas Cromwell. In his letter, Fisher—who had been in the Tower of London prison for eight months for refusing to recognize… pic.twitter.com/FdWbtWwCtz
— Father V (@father_rmv) December 23, 2025
A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Advent preparation.
Fr. Parsch starts to lead us into the point of Christmas with observations about the visible and the invisible.
Yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) podcast HERE
December 21st 2025
Dear Diary,
First entry in a few coz busy. It’s been really cold. Someone said its the winter solstiss again and said the days are getting longer now, which does not seem right because it is getting darker earlier. Not sure how this works. Anyway the cold is real enough.
Christmas is coming fast. I’m worn out, as usual. I love the season and decorations and music but the calendar jammed. It think it fills itself. To stay in the mood I’ve been wearing my xmas socks and santa hat for Mass. Everyone likes them. Parties, dinners, stopping in for a few minutes which is never just a few. I try to keep up but some days feel longer than they should. That solstiss maybe?
Headache: Fr. Luis was picked up at CTK* by ICE and is being detained before deportation. More to do. The diocesan lawyer is working on it and says it depends on paperwork and timing. It always does. The parish keeps calling. I tell them we are doing what we can. The newsies are calling off the hook looking for my reaction or a statement or something. Luis. You’ve gotta try to help him, right? But do you think that after a few years here he’d be able to preach in English?
There are Christmas cookies everywhere more than seems reasonable even for me. Plates and tins and boxes. Chester ate a whole plate of cookies that was left on a chair, including the paper plate and threw up in Fr. Gilbert’s office. He was calm about it but not happy. The carpet will never be the same. Chester was fine afterward. He doesn’t seem to mind the cold on walks which is pretty weird. Then again, nothing about him is normal. I remember when we got him those reindeer horns.
Fr Msgr Tommy said McSwiney at the Cathedral had an idea in a deanery meeting to shorten the midnight Mass by excluding the Creed if children looked restless. No wonder they call him the “Irish Setter”. I asked what counted as restless. T said McS said you can tell by the noise. I said noise has never stopped a Mass before. Should I get involved? After all, I’m supposed to say that one. Do I get a vote?
People are calling the chancery because Strove* put up a lighted inflatable creche “for evangelization” in front of his campus chapel. It is large and very bright and runs all the time. The real problem is that he has a speaker there where he plays his daily homilies on a loop. Its making everyone crazy. Maybe he should play mine! HEE!
Tomorrow is the annual party planned with priests and chancery people at Razzo’s. They’ll make that angel hair pasta that’s soooo good and that chocolate dessert. It’s busy but there are perks.
*The parish of Christ The King where Fr. Ernesto is pastor. Fr. Luis was sent there to work on his English because it was once the least Hispanic parish in the diocese.
**Fr. Dave “Strove” Harris is a less than bright bulb in the diocesan chandelier assigned now to campus ministry. He preaches like a cross between a runaway train and a clown car. Once in a homily at the Engendering Togetherness Community of Welcome at Spud Corners he talked about “Strove Tuesday” and said it was because in the past in Lent ancient Christians “strove to be better”. That made him famous in the presbyterate, prompting +F. Atticus to say that “even Chester knows its SHROVE” and mumbled something about spending a quarter of a million on his formation.
A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Advent preparation.
Fr. Troadec about charity and … whew… time.
Card. Bacci hits us smack between the eyes.
O Emmanuel.
I CORRECTED the link to the Tuesday podcast. You might have to do a CTL+F5 or clear your cache so you don’t just load up the Monday episode again. Otherwise HERE
Yesterday’s podcast HERE.
ARGH!
And I wasn’t there. This is just up the street from my place. They’ve been working on it for I don’t know how long. I walk past it a couple times a day and it has been a languid construction site, sometimes blocking access to the grocery and crowding the local shops.
The Great Roman™ wrote: “Wow, at least 20 years sooner than expected! I was thinking of inserting a clause in my will that my sons had to check the works there.”
So, new pavement, benches, trees for the future. Nice. I REALLY wanted to be there for Christmas. So sad. Maybe in January after I fulfill a couple of engagements.
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance, utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
Meanwhile… and I mean… “MEAN”while… in the Diocese of Charlotte….
Coming soon to theaters in Charlotte, starring Bishop Michael Martin pic.twitter.com/i9yUWvZmmx
— Iacobus Novus (@SeamusNua) December 21, 2025
And…
One of the all time coolest fourth wall break ?
?: Duck Amuck (1953) pic.twitter.com/oKvms9D3Cj
— old toons (@oldtoons_) December 21, 2025
In chessy news… FIDE recently announced that Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (aka Pragg) accrued enough points to win the 2025 FIDE circuit and earned a spot in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament for the world championship bid against Gukesh Dommaraju.
White to move and mate in 4.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
BIG SALE RIGHT NOW
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
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