Youth Choir sang “I Have Been Anointed” for Gaudete Sunday, when we heard about John the Baptist:

On Saturday, Youth Choir did sing
Of baptism and anointing.
With voices uplifting
They had our feet shifting
Now Christmas rehearsal’s the thing!

The Parish’s Advent Reconciliation Service was Sunday. Nicole did a great job getting us organized for it! We sang some reflective music during individual confessions. Fr. Denis and Fr. Martin led us on a guided meditation on how the good and bad parts of our lives are like the smoothness and sharpness of a holly leaf. Each person received a holly leaf, and we closed the service with “The Holly and the Ivy.”

Sunday night saw us reflective,
From holly leaves gaining perspective
On sharpness and strife.
Forgiveness gives life –
“Make straight the path” was our objective.

Nicole and Emily helped the kids prepare the readings, gifts, and songs for the last Class Mass before Christmas.

A fourth class from Kennedy Park
On Tuesday did all sing like larks.
It was the first Mass
That was led by their class –
We all agree, they get top marks!

Tonight, Scoil Mhuire’s carol service! The work Nick and I did with all the students in the school over the last few months paid off with interest tonight. The theme was “Together We Grow.” The service featured the whole school, nearly 550 students, including the autistic unit. Several Scoil Mhuire students are the first generation of their families to grow up in Ireland. Seven pairs of students read about the Christmas traditions in different countries, always ending with “Merry Christmas!” in that country’s language. These kids sang in English, Irish, Polish, and Yoruba (a Nigerian language)! From the autistic unit playing glockenspiel to the recorder consort playing “Wexford Carol” in four parts, from junior infants (4-year-olds) to sixth class, Scoil Mhuire did themselves proud.

Scoil Mhuire: five-fifty go-getters
Who sang and read clearly each letter!
In four different tongues
Their traditions they’ve sung.
They could not have done any better!

Thought you might like this particularly lovely sunrise… from my walk to the parish at 9:00am.