St. Isidore - Holy Family

12/26/2025

What are the “Twelve Days of Christmas”?

This phrase is mentioned throughout the Christmas season, but do we know what it really means?

“On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree.”

We all know the song. It’s quite long. Our eyes usually glaze over before it wraps up with the “partridge in a pear tree.”

What are the “Twelve Days of Christmas” anyway? Where are they on the calendar?

First, happy Christmas!!! Today is the first of the twelve days.

The Twelve Days are a very old celebration of Christmas. They are far older than the song cited above, which was first written in Elizabethan England. The Twelve days cover the gap between Christmas Day and Epiphany.

Many people think that the “Twelve Days of Christmas” are the days leading up to Christmas, with Christmas being the twelfth day and grand finale. Christmas, however, is the beginning of the twelve day celebration, which continues through the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th.

In the Liturgy of the Hours, each of these days has the prayers and readings of Christmas Day. That means that each of the Twelve Days are treated as Christmas Day itself. This makes a lot of sense—after all, we are celebrating God born in the flesh. We couldn’t possibly fit all our wonder and jubilance into just one day!

Don't allow the secular Christmas to influence the way you celebrate this beautiful season. Continue to celebrate the birth of Christ over the next 12 days.

The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ. Two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stand for faith, hope, and love. The four calling birds are the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy. The eight maids a-milking are the eight Beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments. The eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples. The twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed. ♥️ 🎄

Merry Christmas!

12/25/2025

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you!

O Wisdom of God, you are our Wisdom.

O Lord of lords, you are the newborn Child.

O Root of Jesse, you are the vine and we are the branches.

O Key of David, you are the key to the gates of heaven.

O Dayspring, you are the light of the world.

O Ruler of the world, you are the Lord of lords.

O Emmanuel, you are God with us.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

12/24/2025

12/24/2025

12/24/2025

December 24, 2025

God promised David a house and Kingdom that would endure forever, a throne that would stand firm always. This was fulfilled by "the mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant, David." Zechariah's prophetic words assure us that even if we "dwell in darkness and the shadow of death," we can experience the "tender compassion of our God."

On the threshold of Christmas, let us pray: Come and reward your people's hope.

You are our peace, restore in this holy season peace in our hearts, our homes, our neighborhoods, our cities, and our warring world: Come and reward your people's hope.

You are the gift of God’s ever-present love, renew in this holy season the love for which all hearts long: Come and reward your people's hope.

You are the bond that cannot be broken. Reunite in this season of peace those who have broken bonds of peace with each other: Come and reward your people's hope.

12/24/2025

Blessings to you and yours as we approach the Christmas Season!

12/24/2025

READ: DAY 7 | THE SEVEN "O" ANTIPHONS OF ADVENT by BISHOP BOYEA | O EMMANUEL: The seventh and final antiphon before Christmas is sung on December 23, writes Bishop Earl Boyea, “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.”

We now come to the final O Antiphon, the one which anticipates most clearly what we will celebrate tomorrow evening, the birth of the Messiah, God with us, Emmanuel.

With war facing King Ahaz in 735 BC, Isaiah went to him with God’s words that the king should remain calm and not fear but trust in God rather than in Assyria for his enemies would be destroyed. The prophet even offered to give Ahaz a sign, which the wavering king rejected. Frustrated, Isaiah then said: “the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Since the blessed Davidic son awaited by Isaiah did not, in fact, turn out to be what he expected, we have since understood this to be a prophecy about the virgin Mary and the birth of her son, Jesus, who truly is God with us.

Matthew cites this text of Isaiah as part of the dream sequence experienced by Joseph, who then took Mary into his home (Matthew1:23).

This antiphon then sums up all the previous one. This Messiah is to be a king like David, a lawgiver like Moses, he will be the one desired by the nations. He will be Lord and savior. But most of all he will be God with us.

Sisters and brothers, tomorrow evening we begin the Christmas season, the time for us to celebrate the coming of God into our midst as one of us in all things but sin. To see all these qualities wrapped up in a simple and small child can be difficult. But, as we know, most often great things come in small packages.

A blessed Christmas to you all!

12/24/2025

12/23/2025

Well, what DID Mary know?

The popular Christmas song, “Mary, Did You Know?” gets a few things wrong…

You probably know the song, or at least one of its many covers. “Mary, Did You Know?” has been a constant Christmas classic since its release in 1984. You can’t turn on the Christmas radio station or shuffle a Christmas playlist without it coming on.

As beloved as this song is, it may surprise you that it is not unconditionally accepted by Catholics…and for good reason! Some have recognized that, despite its focus on Mary, this song employs some revisionist history on Mary’s role in salvation history.

Let’s take a closer look:

“Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy
Has come to make you new?
This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you.”

Firstly, Mary did know much of what the song speculates about. Through her familiarity with Scripture, Mary knew a great deal about the identity of the Messiah, particularly His miracles, His deity, and His offer of salvation. Moreover, through the Annunciation, Mary was made aware that the Child she would bear would be the Savior of the world. Knowing what she did of the prophecies of the Messiah, Mary largely understood what the role of mother to the Messiah would require.

This is why her fiat, her willful and complete “yes” to Our Lord, is so striking. Knowing what would be asked of her—including the great suffering she would endure—Mary willingly showed herself the perfect handmaid of the Lord.

Secondly, the song speaks of Mary’s salvation as though it hadn’t happened yet. However, unlike us, Mary was preserved from all sin at the moment of her Immaculate Conception, in view of her Son’s future sufferings. Through the merits of her Son, applied to her in advance, Mary was created perfect so as to be the perfect vessel for the Christ Child.

While the song is erroneous in its speculation, it is not wrong for you to enjoy “Mary, Did You Know?” Just keep in mind the powerful reality of Mary’s foreknowledge and Immaculate Conception. (Courtsey of The Catholic Company's Get Fed Bite-Sized Faith)

12/23/2025

*A reflection written by member of The Little Rose Shop team

"A few nights ago, I was wrapping a few last gifts and it hit me: no one is stuffing my stocking.

Maybe you’ve had that thought too. As moms, we are the Christmas magic. We remember everyone’s favorite treat, track down the tissue paper, and whisper excitedly to our spouse about how thrilled the kids will be. But amidst all the sparkle we create, it’s easy to feel like we’re fading into the background—just the hands behind the curtain.

This year, what if we asked Jesus to be our present?

The world may not hand us something wrapped in ribbon, but the gift of Himself is waiting for us under the quiet of Christmas morning. Mary didn’t wake up to wrapped gifts or a Pinterest-perfect moment. She received the Christ Child in a stable, and her heart was so full, it magnified the Lord. That same gift is offered to you: joy, hope, peace—not from a box, but from a Person. So maybe your stocking will be empty this year, but your heart doesn’t have to be. Ask Jesus to be the gift. He’ll never forget you."

Merry Christmas!