Our First Santa Lucia Celebration

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Santa Lucia, thy light is glowing

Through darkest winter night, Comfort bestowing.

Dreams float on dreams tonight

Comes then the morning light,

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia 🕯

Saint Lucia is one of the oldest Christian martyrs and has been a well loved saint over the ages and is the Patron saint of Syracuse and of Sight

Not much is known of her life however legends have come about over the years most of which agree on that she was martyred for her Christian faith and put to death after her prospective suitor who didn’t like her Christian ways reported her to authorities. Much legend and talk of miracles surround her life. Her name meaning light - at this time of year is deeply connected with the winter solstice the shortest day of the year - which in the old Gregorian Calendar was celebrated today December 13.

St Lucia in acts of charity and love for her fellow human beings is a true example of the selfless act of love, of bringing light to others not just now as we are in the darkest part of the year but in the darkest parts of our lives as legends say she fed the hungry wearing a wreath of light on her head leaving hands free for carrying food.

Traditionally we have never celebrated Saint Lucy’s day at home here in the U.K. and I only grew to know of the different cultural celebrations here in this wonderful community, but today we baked Lussekatter, we listened to stories about this remarkably brave girl and we had our very own little procession of light after dinner.

Waldorf advent tradition in a Catholic home

Amongst our catholic traditions this time of year there is a verse we also know being a Waldorf inspired home at this time of year…

‘The first light of Advent is the light of stone–.

Light that lives in crystals, seashells, and bones.

The second light of Advent is the light of plants–

Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.

The third light of Advent is the light of beasts–

All await the birth, from the greatest and in least.

The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind–

The light of hope that we may learn to love and understand.” Rudolf Steiner.

I’ve had many message me and ask as a Catholic how I include this in my advent celebrations. For me it’s very simple, it is a very simple and beautiful way of reflecting on the world God has created, from the very rocks and minerals which have fused together to form this beautiful planet we live on, to the plants and trees which build its habitats, the creation of the most beautiful array of animals - to us human beings - all leading us to the one who’s coming we celebrate on Christmas Day, Christ. The light of the world.

Steiner said about the Christmas festival..

“The birth of the light will be followed by life in the light. Christians, therefore, should not see in the Christmas festival something that passes. It is not a memorial festival commemorating what has occurred in the past. The Christmas message does not say, “Christ has been born, Christ was born.” It says, “Today Christ is born.” Today is always emphasized. This is significant. The emphasis on today should be understood in the sense in which Christ has spoken, “I am with you always even unto the end of days.” This confronts us anew each year and reveals to us the connection between man and the heavens.” (From Signs and Symbols of the Christian Festival, Lecture One)

Wishing you all an amazing second week of advent, is it me or is the time just flying by so quickly?

#steinerwaldorf #advent #reflections #adventreflections #catholichome

Love in all it’s absence

🕊 I know there may be some out there with these feelings, so I wanted to put this post out there today for those of you who need it!

This time of year, when I expect to be close to him, to God, in celebration of Christ’s birth. I often don’t. 🤦🏼‍♀️

In days gone by this was often a source of great spiritual loneliness for me, of emptiness. Why when I focused so much on him did he not feel like he was there? How can a God who is ever loving always there feel so absent? How is that fair?

Then one day it hit me. When thinking about love, about marriage and all the in between - as beings made in Gods image we were created in love, not for the feeling or emotion of love, but the very act of love itself.

When we look at our very human relationships, that act of love isn’t in always in the ‘feeling’ it’s in loving when loving can feel hard, when we don’t necessarily feel close to or with someone. It’s choosing to love someone and give love despite how loving that person makes you feel.

“Love is sometimes filled with affection. This “affect” of love is, of course, a welcome gift whenever it is given. But true love needs to be more than affection, it is meant to be effective. This means that love is meant to “move.” It is meant to be a choice. It is more than a feeling (thank you, Boston), and reaches a certain degree of perfection when we choose to love in the absence of the positive feelings we get…. true love becomes an even greater gift when we love the other for their own sake, not for anything we get from loving them “ Fr Michael Schmitz

Our relationship with the Lord is no different.

God is ever present and ever loving, and when we feel his love that is amazing! When we feel close to him it is the most wonderful feeling we can have, when God sits back and allows that distance, it’s allowing us to really step into that act of love, and to love him for the true act of selfless love, to love him for who he is and not alone on what joy he gives.

Love, something so human, so real and tangible is something which is also divine, and in realising this simple fact of love, those absences no longer feel like a spiritual black hole for me, they feel fruitful.