Did you know the origin of the word "holiday" is distinctively Christian? It stems from Old English and literally means "holy day". The secular world has adopted this phrase as a way of giving generality to our seasonal greetings. There is no harm in this, but as Christians, while receiving and in sharing this greeting, we can know in our hearts its unique origins and offer up our days of rest and relaxation as a way of sanctifying the occasion.

In England, where they often go on "holiday", the occasion stems from a time when vacation days coincided with religious holy days and therefore were spent in rest and relaxation. While the term has become used more generically, that doesn't stop us from recognizing that when we wish someone a happy holiday, we can transform that greeting into a prayer for their days to be holy and bright. We can in our hearts wish them a happy holy day.

May God Bless you this Advent and always...and of course, Happy Holidays!

Amanda Haberman, Pastoral Minister

Rejoice! Advent Meditations with the Holy Family is a prayer resource with daily meditations that will enrich your Advent by inviting you to experience the first Advent with Joseph and Mary, as they await the birth of their son, the Savior of the world. For more information go to: https://ascensionpress.com/collections/rejoice-advent-meditations-with-the-holy-family

Join Father Mark Toups beginning Sunday November 29th at 8pm for LIVE Advent prayer and reflection through Ascension Press's youtube page. Go To: http://rejoiceprogram.com for more information on this great family friendly Advent opportunity. Feel free to watch the trailer below for a glimpse into the purpose and theme of this program.

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